(15-01-2024) If the timelines for permits issued by the Executive Branch were respected, mining projects would receive approval within a year at the latest. However, in practice, this is not happening, stated Engineer Edgardo Orderique, Director of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru (IIMP), adding that permits are being linked to what is called social license.
In the ministries of Energy and Mines, and Environment, it takes up to 10 years for a project to get the green light, considering technical aspects, permits, and social acceptance, he affirmed in an interview with the IIMP.
He gave the example of the Tía María case, which already has all the necessary permits to start operations, but this is not happening because it lacks social viability. Additionally, Engineer Orderique considered it necessary to have qualified personnel in State institutions to expedite project procedures.
“Having qualified personnel in the permitting areas, in the MINEM and MINAM, which are the areas linked to the mining sector. Qualified personnel who technically understand the mining reality so that, under that understanding, approvals can be obtained within the established norms,” he expressed.